Hanger

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a multipurpose hanger, which is especially useful for hanging clothing. The hanger is made from pressed waste paper pulp or a by-product of another process, and comprises a single unitary body having at least two suspension bars extending from either side of a suspension hook. Each member of the body comprises a substantially planar section with at least one reinforcing feature formed therein.

The present invention relates to a multipurpose hanger, which is especially useful for hanging clothing.

Clothes hangers are used to hang many different garments on rails at home or in stores. This prevents the garments from creasing. In stores they are also used to display various clothing items to customers. Products that are hung on clothes hangers include, but are not limited to, shirts, trousers, dresses, skirts, jackets, jumpers, underwear, suits and coats.

Clothes hangers are made in many different shapes and sizes, with the majority of hangers being formed from plastic, metal or a combination of the two. There are additionally some hangers that are produced from various different types of paper and card, either using a raw or recycled form.

Plastic and metal clothes hangers are made from the world's natural resources, i.e. oil and metal ores, albeit some are made from recycled products. Neither plastic nor metal clothes hangers are biodegradable, therefore the disposal of used, broken and unwanted clothes hangers is a significant problem. Many millions end up in landfill sites around the world rather than being recycled, thus increasing the burden on the earth's already stretched landscapes.

A further problem is that plastic clothes hangers can break, exposing sharp edges, which may cause injury to an individual. Additionally, in some designs of metal and/or wire hangers the end of the ‘hook’ is quite sharp, which may cause injury.

It is an object of the invention to provide a hanger made from a product that is 100% waste material, be it a by-product of another process or by using recycled ingredients, both of these being biodegradable. Such products are waste paper pulp and sugar cane pulp.

The present invention provides a hanger made from pressed waste paper pulp or a by-product of another process, comprising a single unitary body having at least two suspension bars extending from either side of a suspension hook, wherein each member of the body comprises a substantially planar section with at least one reinforcing feature.

Waste paper pulp is made from recycled paper and cardboard. Grey pulp, which is made from newspaper, contains longer fibres than other forms of waste paper pulp; adding grey pulp to waste paper pulp results in a material with increased strength. The most common current use of pressed waste paper pulp is for egg boxes. Pressed waste paper pulp is generally manufactured to a maximum thickness of 3 mm.

To manufacture products from pressed waste paper pulp, paper, newspaper, and cardboard are finely shredded and added to water tanks. Moulds corresponding to the shape of the finished component and containing fine holes descend into the water tanks and waste paper pulp is sucked to the moulds. The moulds are withdrawn from the water tanks and pressed into a reverse mould in order to shape the reverse side of the component. The product is then released onto a tray, allowed to almost fully dry and is then pressed in a heat press in order to achieve further shaping and drying. A further heat pressing step may also be added where double pressing is desirable.

A major advantage of producing components from pressed waste paper pulp is the low energy requirement involved in its manufacture. There is also minimal waste in the process, since the components are moulded into the desired shape rather than being cut from a larger piece of material. Additionally, the finished products can continually be recycled by using them as the resource in the initial stage of the process. If disposed of, pressed waste paper pulp biodegrades in 60 days. For hangers used for clothing, there is the additional advantage that this material is air permeable so they allow the air to circulate.

Alternatively to waste paper pulp, any by-product of another process with suitable structural properties may be used. A non-limiting example a suitable by-product is sugar cane pulp.

The design and production technique allows for the hangers to be re-used and also recycled if required. If discarded in an irresponsible manner they will biodegrade, unlike plastic and metal hangers which are not biodegradable, certainly in the short to medium term.

The hangers of the present invention are made from 100% waste material and therefore do not require new resources, unlike current products which use plastic or metal ingredients, albeit some are formed from recycled materials.

If the clothes hanger is snapped, torn, or broken, it will not form sharp edges because of the nature of the material from which it is produced, thus reducing the risk of injury to any individual. If a plastic or metal hanger is flexed it may recoil and cause a serious injury, particularly to facial areas.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the hanger of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a cross section on the line I-I of one of the bars of the hanger of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 illustrates the hanger (H). The hanger (H) is in the form of a single unitary substantially planar body made in one piece from a single mould. The preferred form of hanger (H) is designed to perform a multifunctional task by holding many different forms of clothing. This makes the hanger (H) convenient as it enables it to be used for varied purposes.

At the top of the body of the hanger (H) is a suspension hook (1), which is used to suspend the hanger (H) from a supporting apparatus such as a hanging rail. Connected to the suspension hook (1) are two suspension bars (2). The suspension bars (2) extend from either side of the suspension hook (1), preferably at an oblique downwards angle, in opposing directions. The ends of the suspension bars (2) that are not connected to the suspension hook (1) are preferably joined to each other by a substantially horizontal cross bar (4) to form a substantially triangular structure. The horizontal cross bar (4) increases the overall strength of the hanger (H). The cross bar (4) is especially useful for hanging trousers. There are preferably two notches (5) and (6) in the upper surface (i.e. the surface which would be uppermost when the hanger is suspended) of each suspension bar (2). These serve to suspend and secure items of clothing that have hanging straps such as, but not limited too, skirts and dresses. To avoid weak points from arising at the point of the notches (5) and (6) the width of the suspension bars (2) is increased in this area. In particular this stops the notches (5) and (6) from impeding the reinforcing channel (14) (see below).

The suspension bars (2) and cross bar (4) each comprise a central substantially planar section (8) having small flanges (7) extending perpendicularly in the same direction from each edge of the central section (8), resulting in the bars (2, 4) of the hanger (H) having a substantially C-shaped section. The flanges (7) serve to increase the second moment of area of the bars (2, 4), thus greatly increasing their compression strength. This is of particular importance for the horizontal bar (4), which is under compression when items are hung using the suspension bars (2). A further advantage of the flanges (7) is that they provide a smooth, preferably curved surface, rather than sharp edges that may damage or form creases in items hung on the hanger (H).

The suspension hook (1) preferably also comprises a central substantially planar section (8) having small flanges (7) extending perpendicularly in the same direction from each edge of the central section (8), resulting in a substantially C-shaped section. In an alternative embodiment, at least part of the suspension hook (1) comprises a thickened solid cross-section in order to further increase its strength.

A reinforcing feature is formed into the planar sections (8) of the suspension bars (2) and cross bar (4). This is preferably in the form of a channel (14) pressed into one side of the planar section which deforms the material so as to form a proud ridge (18) on the other side of the planar section (8). The channels (14) in each of the bars (2, 4) preferably join each other to form a complete closed loop. The channels (14) further increase the second moment of area of the bars (2, 4) and thus provide additional structural integrity to the hanger (H). A similar channel (13) is provided on the suspension hook (1).

A panel (10) is disposed at the point where the suspension hook (1) joins with the suspension shoulders (2). The size of the panel (10) is selected to increase the strength of the suspension hook (1) and to provide support. The panel (10) is preferably substantially flat on the front side of the hanger. This is convenient for the display of indicia (17) that may contain product information, sales information, and/or branding. The indicia (17) may be embossed into the panel (10) as shown, by way of example only, by the word “EZEE”. Other non-limiting methods of presenting indicia are in the form of an ink stamp, or the application of a label.

The preferred dimension of the hanger (H) at its widest point, defined as the maximum width between the ends of the suspension bars (X-Y), is between 300 mm and 520 mm. To provide a suitably weighted hanger (H) which has good structural integrity the thickness of the hanger (H) is preferably 6-7 mm. However it is also possible to double press the pulp by a further subsequent heat pressing step. This not only makes the hanger (H) thinner but also more compact, thereby giving it greater strength and more flexibility. Double pressed hangers preferably have a thickness in the range of 2.5-3.5 mm. The preferred density of the pressed paper pulp is substantially 0.0045 gmm⁻³.

Various additives may be added to the waste paper pulp to alter the properties of the material. Dyes and colourings may be added to alter the appearance of the material. A non-limiting example of a suitable colouring is vegetable dye. Adding an internal sizing agent to the waste paper pulp before pressing results in a material that is waterproof. Suitable internal sizing agents would be known to a person skilled in the art. For example, one or more internal sizing agents could be selected from: rosins, alkyl ketene dimmers (AKD), isocynates, acid anhydrides, and carbamoyl chlorides. The internal sizing agent would preferably be biodegradable. An example of a biodegradable internal sizing agent is alkyl ketene dimmer (AKD) (when AKD is mixed with an emulsifier, which is the form in which it is marketed and used). Alternatively, a suitable surface sizing agent, as would be known to someone skilled in the art, may be used to coat the surface of the finished product. Examples of surface sizing agents include conventional and modified starches, polyvinyl alcohol, cellulosic derivatives, gelatine, rosin, proteins such as casein, natural gums and synthetic polymers. Dry strength agents may also be added to further increase the strength of the material in its dry state. Suitable dry strength agents would be known to a person skilled in the art. Examples of dry strength agents include starch, cationic starch, carboxymethylcellulose, and mannogalactanes. 

1. A hanger made from pressed waste paper pulp or a by-product of another process, comprising a single unitary body having at least two suspension bars extending from either side of a suspension hook, wherein each member of the body comprises a substantially planar section with at least one reinforcing feature formed therein.
 2. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing feature comprises perpendicular flanges extending in the same direction from each edge of the planar section.
 3. A hanger according to claim 1 herein the reinforcing feature comprises a channel in one surface that forms a proud ridge in the opposing surface.
 4. A hanger according to claim 1, in which the body further comprises a substantially horizontal cross bar connecting each free end of the suspension bars.
 5. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein the suspension bars slope down and away from each other at an oblique angle.
 6. A hanger according to any claim 1, in which the body further comprises at least one notch on an upper surface of each suspension bar.
 7. A hanger according to claim 1, in which the body further comprises a panel disposed at the join between the suspension hook and suspension bars.
 8. A hanger according to claim 7, wherein indicia are applied to the panel.
 9. A hanger according to claim 8, wherein the indicia are applied to the panel by embossing.
 10. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein the maximum width between the outermost sections of each shoulder lies in the range of 300 mm and 520 mm.
 11. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein the thickness of the substantially planar sections of the body lies in the range of 2.5-7 mm.
 12. A hanger according to any claim 1, wherein the density of the material is substantially 0.0045 gmm⁻³.
 13. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein the by-product is sugar cane pulp.
 14. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein at least one dye is added to the waste paper pulp or by-product of another process.
 15. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein an internal sizing agent is added to the waste paper pulp or by-product of another process.
 16. A hanger according to claim 1, to which a surface sizing agent is applied to the waste paper pulp or by-product of another process once pressed.
 17. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein a dry strength agent is added to the waste paper pulp or by-product of another process.
 18. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein the waste paper pulp or by-product of another process is pressed into a forming mould, dried and then heat pressed.
 19. A hanger according to claim 18 in which the hanger is subjected to a second heat pressing step.
 20. A hanger according to claim 1, wherein at least part of the suspension hook comprises a thickened solid cross-section. 